Sudarananda Finds the
Way

THE
FIRST BUDDHIST MUSICAL
Presented
at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas
in honor of the Master's birthday.

Compiled
and directed by Kuo Ts'an Epstein
Music
by Dharma Master Heng Yin

Song:
Everyone

Nanda
loved Sundari

He
couldn't put her down.

So
the Buddha took him to the heavens

And
he took him underground.

All
things are relative

So
the Buddhas say.

So
he left the fire of desire

To
cultivate the Way.

Instilling
Virtue Players from left to right: Kuo Che Bradley as the narrator; Kuo
Chau Silver as Sundarananda; Kuo Ju Bradley as the Buddha; Kuo Ch'ing
Linebarger as a heavenly maiden; Kuo Mi Love joy as a heavenly maiden; and
Kuo T'ou Gray as Sundari. Narrator: Long ago in India when the Buddha was
in the world he had a little brother whose name was Sundarananda. He had a
wife that he was so fond of that he had actually been named after her. Her
name was Sundari and his name, Sundarananda means Sundari's Nanada. Why
did he love her so much? Because she was absolutely stunning. In fact, she
was the most beautiful woman in all of India. Because of this,
Sundarananda was as if hypnotized by her beauty and he never left her side
whether walking, standing, sitting, lying down, or even eating.

Song:
Sundari & Sundarananda

Together
we walk, together we sleep

Together
we talk, together we eat,

Whatever
you do, you do it with me,

whatever
I do, I do it with you

Right?

Narrator:
The Buddha saw that his little brother had deep good roots and that if he
left the home-life he would surely be a good cultivator, but he also knew
that Sundarananda would never be able to leave his wife. So he devised a
plan. He took his bowl and went to Sundarananda's house to beg for food.
Sundari and Sundarananda were having lunch but when Sundarananda saw his
brother, the Buddha, of course he wanted to go outside and make offerings
to him.

Sundarananda:
Sundari, please, I would like to step outside and give my brother, the
Buddha, an offering of food.

Sundari:
(spitting on the floor) All right, but on one condition. You come back
before that spit dries on the floor. If you aren't back by then, then
don't bother coming back at all. Understand?

Sundarananda:
Sure, that's no problem. It won't take me that long.

Narrator:
So Sundarananda went out to make offerings to his brother, the Buddha. But
the strangest thing happened. Everytime he took a step forward to put the
food in the Buddha's bowl, the Buddha took a step backward. With the help
of the Buddha's spiritual penetrations, in a few minutes Sundarananda
found himself back at the Jeta Grove.

Sundarananda:
Oh, no, what will I do now. I'll never get back before that spit dries on
the floor and Sundari will think I did it on purpose. She'll never forgive
me.

Buddha:
Don't go back, then. Stay here with me and leave the home-life. You should
cultivate the Way.

Narrator:
So Sundarananda allowed the Buddha to shave his head and garb him in the
robes of a left-home person, but in his mind he was still very much in
love with his wife, Sundari, and all he could think of was finding a
chance to escape and go back home to her. One day the Buddha and all of
his disciples went out for lunch and left Sundarananda to guard the door.

Buddha:
We will be back soon, and bring you lunch. Sweep the floor and clean up
the place a bit while we are gone. Goodbye.

Sundarananda:
Now's my chance to go home to Sundari. But first I will do the chores the
Buddha asked me to do.

Song:
Sundarananda while sweeping

Watch
the door, sweep the floor,

Is
that all I'm good for

Anymore?

Answer
the phone, stay at home

All
alone...

Narrator:
So Sundarananda began to sweep the floor, but the strangest thing began to
happen. Every time ha got the dust together into a pile, a gust of wind
would come and blow it all over the room again. He tried closing all the
windows but nothing worked and after al while he got really nervous.
Sundarananda:
The Buddha will be back any minute and I will lose my chance. Dust or no
dust, I'm leaving.
Hmmm.
Let's see, the Buddha will return on the main road, so I'll take a side
road and that way I won't run into him.

Narrator:
He ran for a couple of miles when he suddenly saw the Buddha and all the
disciples walking toward him down the road. He quickly hid behind a tree
and waited for him to pass. Moving slowly around' the tree so that the
Buddha wouldn't see him, he never would have guessed the Buddha would
reverse directions as he rounded the tree. Sundarananda ran right smack
into the Buddha.

Buddha:
What are you doing? I thought you were watching the door.

Sundarananda:
I waited and waited but when you didn't return I decided to come and meet
you. I thought that your bowl might be too heavy. I came to carry your
bowl back for you, Buddha.

Buddha:
What a good disciple! Let's go back together, then.

Narrator:
But the Buddha knew that Sundarananda wasn't happy and that all day long
he thought of his wife, Sundari, so one day the Buddha went to him and
said:

Buddha:
Let's go for a walk in the mountains. Just you and I, all right,
Sundarananda?

Sundarananda:
All right.

Buddha:
Sundarananda, look at all these mountain-monkeys. Who is more beautiful,
your wife, Sundari, or these monkeys?

Sundarananda:
Why, of course, Sundari is more beautiful. How can you even compare them?
Sundari is beautiful and these monkeys are ugly.

Buddha:
Oh, I see you are quite intelligent. You know that your wife is more
beautiful than the monkeys.

Narrator:
When they returned to the Jeta Grove, Sundarananda thought of his
beautiful wife even more, but before long the Buddha same to him again.

Buddha:
Sundarananda, have you ever been to the heavens? Want to go?

Sundarananda:
Wow! I've never been to the heavens, sure, I'll go.

Narrator:
So they both sat down in meditation and the Buddha used his spiritual
powers to take them to the heavens where they visited a palace where five
hundred goddesses and many servants were working. The heavens were a
million times more beautiful than the earth and Sundarananda fell in love
with the exquisite goddesses the moment he saw them.

Sundarananda:
Do you have a leader, who owns this palace? Who is your master?

Goddesses:
Our master hasn't come yet. He's Shakyamuni Buddha's little brother
Sundarananda. He's left home to cultivate the Way and in the future he
will be reborn in this palace with these five hundred goddesses as his
wives.

Song:
Goddesses

We
are the heavenly maidens

Look
at our heavenly eyes.

Look
at OUT heavenly pigtails.

Heave
your heavenly sighs.

We
are the heavenly maidens

Keeping
the palace so neat.

For
five hundred years from today

Nanda
our Master we'll meet.

Sundarananda:
Wow! Maybe I won't run away after all! I'll cultivate and get reborn in
the heavens.

Buddha:
By the way, Sundarananda, who do you think is more beautiful, your wife,
Sundari or the goddesses up here?

Sundarananda:
Buddha, compared to these goddesses, my wife, Sundari is as ugly as a
monkey!

Narrator:
Sundarananda cultivated day and night when they returned, because he
wanted to be a heavenly lord. But the Buddha knew that wasn't good enough.
Though Sundarananda was cultivating the blessings of the heavens, in the
end he would use them up and fall. So wanting to help Sundarananda, he
took him for another walk.

Buddha:
Come one, Sundarananda, let's go visit the hells.

Sundarananda:
I've heard they aren't very pleasant. But if you say so....

Narrator:
They visited the hell of the mountain of knives, the sword-tree hell, the
fire-sea hell, the ice-hell and many others, but finally they came to a
hell where there were two ghosts sitting beside a pot of oil which was
barely simmering. The lazy ghosts had let the fire go out and one was
asleep. The other was just about.

Sundarananda
(softly to himself): Hey, these ghosts are supposed to be tending the fire
under that cauldron, but they're not doing their job at all. They sure are
lazy. (Out loud while nudging one) Wake up! What are you doing going to
sleep?

Ghost:
What's it to you?

Sundarananda:
(cowed a little by their fierceness): Just wondered.

Ghost:
You gotta know, huh? Ok, I’ll tell ya. The Buddha’s got a little
brother who’s cultivating the blessings of the heavens. He’s going to
be reborn in the heavens and enjoy five hundred years of heavenly bliss
before he falls. One he falls, thought, he’ll tumble all the way down
here and when he gets here, we’re supposed to have this oil boiling hot.
He’s going to be French Fried!

Song:
Ghosts

Here
is the copper kettle

Filled
with boiling oil.

The
Buddha's brother, Nanda,

Is
coming here to boil.

When
he's through in heaven,

Karma's
laws decide

He's
coming down to our place

To
get himself French Fried!

Narrator:
Well, as you can imagine, when Sundarananda heard this, he was so
horrified that every hair on his body stood straight up.

Sundarananda:
Heavenly maidens are beautiful, but I sure don't dig this boiling oil
stuff. A bit too hot for me: It's just not worth it. I guess life isn't so
wonderful after all. I think maybe I'll just cultivate to end birth and
death and forget all about the heavenly bliss.

Narrator:
Still shaking, Sundarananda returned to the Jeta Grove with the Buddha.
But this time he didn't sit around thinking about his wife Sundari nor did
he cultivate the blessings of the heavens. He just worked hard to end
birth and death and soon he certified to the fruition.